So I go through phases where I am obsessed with songs. The song that I am in love with right now is "Big Green Tractor" by Jason Aldean. In the past couple weeks I've made people listen to it any time I had the opportunity. When I made my mom listen to it, she immediately said, "Do you think that's a euphemism?" I was crushed, no it's not a euphemism! If you haven't heard the song, here is a link for you to listen to it and see the lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hO6Rz2Lv0Y
I thought it was a sweet song about them riding around on the tractor and enjoy it, because they were together. I want some more opinions, is it a sweet song about them just doing something simple together or is it a euphemism?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Reason I Didn't Post More
I know I wasn't the world's greatest at posting regularly my first semester traveling, but I know I did an even worse job during the spring semester. I can blame it on the fact that I traveled more, or I could blame it on not having as much to post about, but I'm sure you can guess what had me too preoccupied to sit down on post more regularly.
It was because he had dark hair
and gorgeous, brown eyes
he's 6'2"
he makes me laugh
he drives a truck
he doesn't curse
he'd rather talk than watch a movie
he loves chocolate shakes as much as I do
he watched Jon and Kate with me
he says "goodness"
he let me sleep in his lap while he watched SportsCenter
he bought me office supplies just because
he picked me up off the ground when he hugged me
he has the cutest southern accent
and he made me so sad to leave North Carolina.
Now don't think I didn't pay attention to my chapters, because I did! I still listened to the chapter president who called me crying because the freshmen wanted to wear fat suits in the Derby Days skit, and I helped another chapter president who wanted to know if it was in our national bylaws that seniors didn't have to pay for formal, and I was around when a chapter president had a complete emotional breakdown when she found out that the treasurer hadn't submitted initiation paperwork on time.
I have tons of stories that I need to share with you, like the time I had to sit at a Chick-fil-a because 2 chapters couldn't pick an exact time to meet to hand me off, and it started POURING on me while I was sitting outside, but I was just going to let you know why I did such a bad job of sharing my stories with you this past semester.
It was because he had dark hair
and gorgeous, brown eyes
he's 6'2"
he makes me laugh
he drives a truck
he doesn't curse
he'd rather talk than watch a movie
he loves chocolate shakes as much as I do
he watched Jon and Kate with me
he says "goodness"
he let me sleep in his lap while he watched SportsCenter
he bought me office supplies just because
he picked me up off the ground when he hugged me
he has the cutest southern accent
and he made me so sad to leave North Carolina.
Now don't think I didn't pay attention to my chapters, because I did! I still listened to the chapter president who called me crying because the freshmen wanted to wear fat suits in the Derby Days skit, and I helped another chapter president who wanted to know if it was in our national bylaws that seniors didn't have to pay for formal, and I was around when a chapter president had a complete emotional breakdown when she found out that the treasurer hadn't submitted initiation paperwork on time.
I have tons of stories that I need to share with you, like the time I had to sit at a Chick-fil-a because 2 chapters couldn't pick an exact time to meet to hand me off, and it started POURING on me while I was sitting outside, but I was just going to let you know why I did such a bad job of sharing my stories with you this past semester.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bittersweet
Today I flew out of OKC for the last time as a chapter consultant. I can't believe I only have about three weeks left. How crazy is that!
I'm in Charleston until Friday, then I head to Chapel Hill for the weekend. I'm at Wake Forest the beginning of next week, then back to CH, then Appalachian State, William and Mary, and back to Chapel Hill for a few days before I head to Peachtree City. I'm about to tear up just thinking about how close I am to the end!
While I am sad to see the end of my consultantship, it will be nice to sleep in the same bed for more than four nights in a row, not have to dig through a suitcase to find an outfit, drag a suitcase up/down a flight of stairs, stand in line at the airport, try to nap on an airplane, pray that I'll be able to lift my suitcase to get it in the overhead compartment/pray that my bag weighs less than 50 pounds.
Everyone keeps asking if I'm sad or excited that I'm almost finished with my year of traveling. It's not one or the other. It's just bittersweet at this point. I have had some days I just wanted to book a flight home and never look back, and then I've also had days where I don't know how I am going to just move back to Oklahoma and forget about driving through the Smokey Mountains on a Friday afternoon or looking out over the ocean on a random Tuesday before heading back to campus for a meeting.
All I can say is it's bittersweet, but I feel like the most fortunate girl in the world for having this job for the last 9 months.
I'm in Charleston until Friday, then I head to Chapel Hill for the weekend. I'm at Wake Forest the beginning of next week, then back to CH, then Appalachian State, William and Mary, and back to Chapel Hill for a few days before I head to Peachtree City. I'm about to tear up just thinking about how close I am to the end!
While I am sad to see the end of my consultantship, it will be nice to sleep in the same bed for more than four nights in a row, not have to dig through a suitcase to find an outfit, drag a suitcase up/down a flight of stairs, stand in line at the airport, try to nap on an airplane, pray that I'll be able to lift my suitcase to get it in the overhead compartment/pray that my bag weighs less than 50 pounds.
Everyone keeps asking if I'm sad or excited that I'm almost finished with my year of traveling. It's not one or the other. It's just bittersweet at this point. I have had some days I just wanted to book a flight home and never look back, and then I've also had days where I don't know how I am going to just move back to Oklahoma and forget about driving through the Smokey Mountains on a Friday afternoon or looking out over the ocean on a random Tuesday before heading back to campus for a meeting.
All I can say is it's bittersweet, but I feel like the most fortunate girl in the world for having this job for the last 9 months.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Oh, The Places You'll Go
Ever since I "moved" to North Carolina in August, I've been told that I needed to see two things: a Carolina basketball game and The Biltmore House. Well, basketball season has pretty much come and gone, and I never made it to basketball game, but guess what I did get to see this past weekend?!?
That's right! I saw the Biltmore! I'm not sure that all of you Oklahomans know what it is. It is the largest privately owned residence in the country. No one lives in it now, and it has been open to the public since 1930. It was just amazing! Amazing that one person has that much money, because not only was the house MASSIVE, but decorated perfectly too. There were over 20 bedrooms that servants slept in, more grand pianos than I could count, 43 bathrooms, a bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool, three kitchens, a library that had over 23,000 books in it. Oh the whole thing was awesome! I'm sorry I'm not better at all of this technology business, or else I'd post a picture of it. They didn't let us take pictures inside, but I took some of the outside.
So not only did I finally talk someone into taking me to the Biltmore, but on our way there we went by the Chapel Hill chapter's Phi Retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. Which was not quite as exciting to see as the Biltmore house, but still pretty neat. I've heard of Gatlinburg before, but I didn't really know what was so great about it. The best way to describe it would be to call it a kid's Las Vegas. There is this strip in the middle of town filled with hotels, ice cream shops, cute little stores, several places selling carnival food--corn dogs, funnel cakes, fudge, taffy, etc., and a ton of stores selling airbrushed t-shirts (I thought they only sold those at the beach, but I guess not). Then as we drove farther into town, there was Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, and an outlet mall. It was pretty neat; had I been 8 then it would have been really neat, but it was still cool. I'm just really enjoying all of the new places I've been able to see this year.
That's right! I saw the Biltmore! I'm not sure that all of you Oklahomans know what it is. It is the largest privately owned residence in the country. No one lives in it now, and it has been open to the public since 1930. It was just amazing! Amazing that one person has that much money, because not only was the house MASSIVE, but decorated perfectly too. There were over 20 bedrooms that servants slept in, more grand pianos than I could count, 43 bathrooms, a bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool, three kitchens, a library that had over 23,000 books in it. Oh the whole thing was awesome! I'm sorry I'm not better at all of this technology business, or else I'd post a picture of it. They didn't let us take pictures inside, but I took some of the outside.
So not only did I finally talk someone into taking me to the Biltmore, but on our way there we went by the Chapel Hill chapter's Phi Retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. Which was not quite as exciting to see as the Biltmore house, but still pretty neat. I've heard of Gatlinburg before, but I didn't really know what was so great about it. The best way to describe it would be to call it a kid's Las Vegas. There is this strip in the middle of town filled with hotels, ice cream shops, cute little stores, several places selling carnival food--corn dogs, funnel cakes, fudge, taffy, etc., and a ton of stores selling airbrushed t-shirts (I thought they only sold those at the beach, but I guess not). Then as we drove farther into town, there was Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, and an outlet mall. It was pretty neat; had I been 8 then it would have been really neat, but it was still cool. I'm just really enjoying all of the new places I've been able to see this year.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Another Airplane, Another Sunny Place, I'm Lucky I Know
Oh my goodness, I know I am so bad at keeping up with this. I cannot believe I didn't post once in February, that's awful. I'm not sure if this a good excuse for why I haven't updated, but they have me traveling a WHOLE lot more this semester than last semester. I know you're probably thinking, "Torri, you travel full time; you should be used to this." You have to remember, I spent the first 6 weeks of last semester in Chapel Hill, and I stayed in North Carolina for the majority of the rest of the semester.
However, this semester has been a different story! I'm constantly moving around and flying most of the time too! Flying is a much bigger hassel, because I have to make sure I have full outfits in my little suitcase in case my big one were to get lost, and I have to have all of my big liquids in my big suitcase and all of my little liquids in my ziplock bag. I know I shouldn't complain too much, because I am the one who wanted this job. It's just that this last month or so has been a lot more traveling than what I was conditioned to.
I have gotten to go to some new campuses this semester, so that has been fun. I've been to Queeens of Charlotte, which is in Charlotte--an awesome city. I've gone to William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. It's a super neat little town with a ton of really good restaurants (and there is a bunch of history stuff if you get into that sort of thing). I also went to North Georgia College and State which is in the mountains of Georgia. I'd never really seen the mountains before, so that was a lot of fun.
However, this semester has been a different story! I'm constantly moving around and flying most of the time too! Flying is a much bigger hassel, because I have to make sure I have full outfits in my little suitcase in case my big one were to get lost, and I have to have all of my big liquids in my big suitcase and all of my little liquids in my ziplock bag. I know I shouldn't complain too much, because I am the one who wanted this job. It's just that this last month or so has been a lot more traveling than what I was conditioned to.
I have gotten to go to some new campuses this semester, so that has been fun. I've been to Queeens of Charlotte, which is in Charlotte--an awesome city. I've gone to William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. It's a super neat little town with a ton of really good restaurants (and there is a bunch of history stuff if you get into that sort of thing). I also went to North Georgia College and State which is in the mountains of Georgia. I'd never really seen the mountains before, so that was a lot of fun.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I'm Too Old for this!
When I was trained to be a consultant, I found out that a lot of campuses have deffered recruitment. This just means that they have recruitment in the Spring. I thought it was interesting, but didn't give it a lot of thought. Now I am in the middle of deffered recruitment season!
Do you know what that means? It means that not only did I spend all of August and the first week of September on recruitment visits and getting Chapel Hill ready for recruitment, but now I have spent all of January on recruitment visits.
Back when I was 19-21 and I spent two weeks out of the year on recruitment, that was hard enough. I am 24 and I am currently on my 7th week of recruitment for this school year. I am too old for this!
I really want to share something with you all that I've heard several chapters chant during recruitment right before they open the doors. I was SHOCKED the first time I heard it, but now it's just second nature.
"Hidy tidy God Almighty!
Who the hell are you?!
Zim zam hot damn
I'm a Phi Mu!"
I gotta go! Time for me to open more little bottles of Coke and water, put pink straws in them, and set them on pink napkins!
Do you know what that means? It means that not only did I spend all of August and the first week of September on recruitment visits and getting Chapel Hill ready for recruitment, but now I have spent all of January on recruitment visits.
Back when I was 19-21 and I spent two weeks out of the year on recruitment, that was hard enough. I am 24 and I am currently on my 7th week of recruitment for this school year. I am too old for this!
I really want to share something with you all that I've heard several chapters chant during recruitment right before they open the doors. I was SHOCKED the first time I heard it, but now it's just second nature.
"Hidy tidy God Almighty!
Who the hell are you?!
Zim zam hot damn
I'm a Phi Mu!"
I gotta go! Time for me to open more little bottles of Coke and water, put pink straws in them, and set them on pink napkins!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Comfort Food
I realized throughout last semester that I was gaining a little weight, and over Christmas break when I was eating constantly I kept telling myself, "I'm really going to work on loosing weight once I start working again."
I've been back on the road for about a week now, and while I know I want to lose weight, it has not stopped me from eating Chick-fil-a, an entire small pizza from Papa John's in one sitting, cake, cookies, brownies, potatoes every way you can cook them, banana pudding, more pizza, chips and dip, nachos, and chicken wings. None of these things are healthy, yet I still eat them. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't resist these foods that are anything, but low calorie. Then it hit me a couple days ago, I'm turning to these foods because they are comforting. I just spent four weeks at home and now I'm adjusting to being back on the road, not to mention dealing with flight delays, sleeping on an uncomfortable air mattress, not being fed so I've had to go find food. When I'm having a rough day, I just think, "you've had a rough day, you deserve some more mashed potatoes."
Even now that I realized what I was doing, it isn't helping me to eat any better! I'm hoping that in the next few days I will be adjusted and won't rely on food to make me happy anymore. I'm going to have to wait until I go to my next chapter though, because we eat in the cafeteria where I am now and the food is amazing. I'm sure you think I'm crazy, but it really is good. They have like 50 options, plus a whole wall of desserts, AND an ice cream bar. I don't mean a frozen yogurt machine and a bowl of sprinkles next to it. There is an ice cream freezer/counter thing, where a guy stands behind it and you walk up and tell him which of the 8 flavors you'd like. He then scoops it in a cup for you and there are all sorts of toppings from hot fudge to sprinkles to crushed up cookies and the list goes on. I'm like a kid in a candy store every time we go to eat! Thankfully, I'm heading to Chapel Hill on Sunday, so I'll get back to eating better when I'm there.
I've been back on the road for about a week now, and while I know I want to lose weight, it has not stopped me from eating Chick-fil-a, an entire small pizza from Papa John's in one sitting, cake, cookies, brownies, potatoes every way you can cook them, banana pudding, more pizza, chips and dip, nachos, and chicken wings. None of these things are healthy, yet I still eat them. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't resist these foods that are anything, but low calorie. Then it hit me a couple days ago, I'm turning to these foods because they are comforting. I just spent four weeks at home and now I'm adjusting to being back on the road, not to mention dealing with flight delays, sleeping on an uncomfortable air mattress, not being fed so I've had to go find food. When I'm having a rough day, I just think, "you've had a rough day, you deserve some more mashed potatoes."
Even now that I realized what I was doing, it isn't helping me to eat any better! I'm hoping that in the next few days I will be adjusted and won't rely on food to make me happy anymore. I'm going to have to wait until I go to my next chapter though, because we eat in the cafeteria where I am now and the food is amazing. I'm sure you think I'm crazy, but it really is good. They have like 50 options, plus a whole wall of desserts, AND an ice cream bar. I don't mean a frozen yogurt machine and a bowl of sprinkles next to it. There is an ice cream freezer/counter thing, where a guy stands behind it and you walk up and tell him which of the 8 flavors you'd like. He then scoops it in a cup for you and there are all sorts of toppings from hot fudge to sprinkles to crushed up cookies and the list goes on. I'm like a kid in a candy store every time we go to eat! Thankfully, I'm heading to Chapel Hill on Sunday, so I'll get back to eating better when I'm there.
Monday, January 12, 2009
I'm Livin' in Fast Forward. . .Now I Need to Rewind Real Slow
So throughout my travels, I’ve experience a lot! I’ve made a list of the things that stick out in my mind; I meant to type this over Christmas break, but those 4 weeks flew by too fast. Now that it’s practically mid January, I’ll give you highlights from my first semester traveling!
· Been to 5 different chapter’s recruitment practices.
· Eaten at Panera more times than I can count.
· Carried boxes across a campus in the rain.
· Had a chapter president call and ask me if it was okay for her to check a sister out of the hospital.
· Been in 11 different airports.
· Filled out Bid cards twice!
· Been offered Starbucks for lunch AND dinner.
· Taken a 40 minute cab ride to the airport at 6:00 in the morning.
· Gotten lost with a chapter president on our way to her chapter.
· Had to walk 3 blocks in the rain back to my room at 9:30 at night.
· Was on the phone with a chapter president when she was pulled over.
· Been to 4 initiations.
· Stood outside of a chapter house for 30 minutes in 37 degrees, because no one would come let me in.
· Been to 2 elections.
· Learned that “jorts” is a name for jean shorts and you DO NOT wear them in North Carolina.
· Helped install a chapter.
· Received a gift basket from a chapter.
· Carried boxes across campus in the snow.
· Noticed that the freezer with $200 of recruitment food in it had defrosted.
· Stayed at a bed and breakfast.
· Went to lunch with a chapter adviser AND her family.
· Wandered around a campus looking for somewhere to eat, because the chapter wasn’t feeding me.
· Went to see Twilight with chapter members!
· Spent an hour getting green paint out of brand new carpet.
· Set off the alarm in a chapter house while I was on a conference call.
· Been given a gift certificate for a pedicure from a chapter.
· Had the Enterprise guy give me his cell phone number in case I got lost. (Is that normal protocol?)
· Had to ask a random guy to put my carry-on suitcase in the overhead compartment, because it was too heavy for me to lift.
· Met with 6 Greek Advisers.
· Accumulated over 15,000 frequent flyer miles.
· Stayed in the house that is said to be the most haunted in Charleston.
· Learned to really enjoy Chicken Biscuits for breakfast.
· Tried boiled peanuts.
· Dealt with an ice machine flooding a dining room an hour before an initiation.
· Been to 5 different chapter’s recruitment practices.
· Eaten at Panera more times than I can count.
· Carried boxes across a campus in the rain.
· Had a chapter president call and ask me if it was okay for her to check a sister out of the hospital.
· Been in 11 different airports.
· Filled out Bid cards twice!
· Been offered Starbucks for lunch AND dinner.
· Taken a 40 minute cab ride to the airport at 6:00 in the morning.
· Gotten lost with a chapter president on our way to her chapter.
· Had to walk 3 blocks in the rain back to my room at 9:30 at night.
· Was on the phone with a chapter president when she was pulled over.
· Been to 4 initiations.
· Stood outside of a chapter house for 30 minutes in 37 degrees, because no one would come let me in.
· Been to 2 elections.
· Learned that “jorts” is a name for jean shorts and you DO NOT wear them in North Carolina.
· Helped install a chapter.
· Received a gift basket from a chapter.
· Carried boxes across campus in the snow.
· Noticed that the freezer with $200 of recruitment food in it had defrosted.
· Stayed at a bed and breakfast.
· Went to lunch with a chapter adviser AND her family.
· Wandered around a campus looking for somewhere to eat, because the chapter wasn’t feeding me.
· Went to see Twilight with chapter members!
· Spent an hour getting green paint out of brand new carpet.
· Set off the alarm in a chapter house while I was on a conference call.
· Been given a gift certificate for a pedicure from a chapter.
· Had the Enterprise guy give me his cell phone number in case I got lost. (Is that normal protocol?)
· Had to ask a random guy to put my carry-on suitcase in the overhead compartment, because it was too heavy for me to lift.
· Met with 6 Greek Advisers.
· Accumulated over 15,000 frequent flyer miles.
· Stayed in the house that is said to be the most haunted in Charleston.
· Learned to really enjoy Chicken Biscuits for breakfast.
· Tried boiled peanuts.
· Dealt with an ice machine flooding a dining room an hour before an initiation.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Weekends . . . what are those?
I'm back in Chapel Hill for a couple days before I make a couple trips and am then home for Christmas vacation! I had a good Thanksgiving Break; I pretty much did nothing. The first full day of my break I think I slept until 10:30 and didn't even shower until after noon. I texted one of my friends saying that was the first day all semester that I had really been able to sleep in and lounge around. She said, "Really? What about Saturdays and Sundays?"
This brings me to the point of my post. I realize that my job is very difficult for people to grasp. Since a lot of people are confused about it, I'm going to try my best to sort of give a week in the life synopsis for you. Let's go back to mid November.
November 9th
I was dropped off at the Raleigh airport around 7:00 am, which means I got up at 4:30 to get dressed, pack everything, and leave the sorority house by 6:30. My flight left at 9:00, I arrived in the Charlotte airport a little after 10:00. Don't kid yourself, the Charlotte airport is by no means small. Pretty sure I ran through there just in time to make it to my gate which was already boarding! I arrived in Charleston, SC around noon. The chapter president and treasurer took me to lunch and then to my bed and breakfast! They gave me the afternoon off, so I window shopped on Kings Street a little before heading to the house at 4:30 for the exec meeting at 5 and chapter at 6. Chapter was held in a room on campus, so when the meeting was over we all walked outside. No one had been in charge of getting me back to my bed and breakfast so I asked some girls which direction I was supposed to go. They did however, give me a ride back to my room. I then realized that there was nothing on my schedule about dinner--which meant I got to fend for myself. I called a place a few blocks over and ordered take out. I then walked there and picked it up. I took it back to my room and ate alone in my room while I watched tv.
Nov. 10th
They had meetings scheduled for me all morning at the house starting at 10:00; the president and a few of the girls took me to lunch at Moe's. It's kind of like Chipotle. I then went back to the house for meetings for the rest of the afternoon. The Phi Director took me to dinner at a local seafood restaurant. I then went back to my room around 8:00 to catch up on emails and reports. While I was staying at this bed and breakfast, I had to fill out this card each night that said what time I wanted my breakfast served to me and if I wanted it served in my room or on the back porch.
Nov. 11th
I once again had meetings all morning. The treasurer took me to lunch at this cute, little local restaurant. I had a pecan crusted chicken sandwich and broccoli casserole, that were both awesome. My afternoon was filled with meetings. They didn't have time to take me to dinner that night so I asked if they could point me in the direction of a good pizza place, which they did and the pizza was amazing! I spent that evening packing all of my stuff in addition to emailing and working on reports.
Nov. 12th
The president picked me up early the next morning, because I had a 9:45 flight. We drove through a bagel place on our way to the airport, and I ate while she drove. I flew through Charlotte again, but thankfully didn't have to change terminals that time! I arrived at the Raleigh airport around noon and we had an hour drive to the chapter I was visiting. The girl who picked me up took me to a Panera Bread for lunch, because she knew right where one was! We arrived at the chapter mid afternoon. They didn't have a house, just a dorm floor, and I stayed in an empty room on the floor. They had a goodie basket waiting for me in my room. It had a bottle of water, some microwave popcorn, granola bars, chocolates, and some other snacks. I met with the president first and she gave me my schedule for my stay. At 4:30, we all went to dinner at the cafeteria where the whole chapter ate together. After dinner I had meetings until 10:00.
Nov. 13th
A few of the girls took me to breakfast at 9:00, and after breakfast I met with their Greek Adviser and then their Panhellenic Adviser. I then went back to the hall and we all went to lunch together at 11:30. My afternoon was filled with meetings, and the chapter adviser took me to dinner; we ate at this really good local Italian restaurant. (The more you travel, the more you come to love local places) That night I had meetings until 9:30.
There is 5 days for you. I gave you the dates, but did not give you the days of the week. That's because they don't matter. I have to really stop and think about what day of the week it is most the time. They all run together for me, because each visit is so diverse, and it's not like I do anything special on any given day of the week. I rarely ever have time to watch tv, not to mention a lot of times there isn't even a tv in the room I'm staying in. Some days are busier than others, some chapters are friendlier, some accommodations are better, either way it's always an adventure and there is never a dull moment. While I gave you an overview, I didn't get too detailed and tell you about when girls have gotten lost while driving me from one chapter to the next, or when I've had to wander around campus looking for the Greek adviser's office, or when a chapter president calls me at 9:00 in the morning asking me if she is allowed to check a Phi out of the hospital. Oh yeah, it's been pretty interesting.
This brings me to the point of my post. I realize that my job is very difficult for people to grasp. Since a lot of people are confused about it, I'm going to try my best to sort of give a week in the life synopsis for you. Let's go back to mid November.
November 9th
I was dropped off at the Raleigh airport around 7:00 am, which means I got up at 4:30 to get dressed, pack everything, and leave the sorority house by 6:30. My flight left at 9:00, I arrived in the Charlotte airport a little after 10:00. Don't kid yourself, the Charlotte airport is by no means small. Pretty sure I ran through there just in time to make it to my gate which was already boarding! I arrived in Charleston, SC around noon. The chapter president and treasurer took me to lunch and then to my bed and breakfast! They gave me the afternoon off, so I window shopped on Kings Street a little before heading to the house at 4:30 for the exec meeting at 5 and chapter at 6. Chapter was held in a room on campus, so when the meeting was over we all walked outside. No one had been in charge of getting me back to my bed and breakfast so I asked some girls which direction I was supposed to go. They did however, give me a ride back to my room. I then realized that there was nothing on my schedule about dinner--which meant I got to fend for myself. I called a place a few blocks over and ordered take out. I then walked there and picked it up. I took it back to my room and ate alone in my room while I watched tv.
Nov. 10th
They had meetings scheduled for me all morning at the house starting at 10:00; the president and a few of the girls took me to lunch at Moe's. It's kind of like Chipotle. I then went back to the house for meetings for the rest of the afternoon. The Phi Director took me to dinner at a local seafood restaurant. I then went back to my room around 8:00 to catch up on emails and reports. While I was staying at this bed and breakfast, I had to fill out this card each night that said what time I wanted my breakfast served to me and if I wanted it served in my room or on the back porch.
Nov. 11th
I once again had meetings all morning. The treasurer took me to lunch at this cute, little local restaurant. I had a pecan crusted chicken sandwich and broccoli casserole, that were both awesome. My afternoon was filled with meetings. They didn't have time to take me to dinner that night so I asked if they could point me in the direction of a good pizza place, which they did and the pizza was amazing! I spent that evening packing all of my stuff in addition to emailing and working on reports.
Nov. 12th
The president picked me up early the next morning, because I had a 9:45 flight. We drove through a bagel place on our way to the airport, and I ate while she drove. I flew through Charlotte again, but thankfully didn't have to change terminals that time! I arrived at the Raleigh airport around noon and we had an hour drive to the chapter I was visiting. The girl who picked me up took me to a Panera Bread for lunch, because she knew right where one was! We arrived at the chapter mid afternoon. They didn't have a house, just a dorm floor, and I stayed in an empty room on the floor. They had a goodie basket waiting for me in my room. It had a bottle of water, some microwave popcorn, granola bars, chocolates, and some other snacks. I met with the president first and she gave me my schedule for my stay. At 4:30, we all went to dinner at the cafeteria where the whole chapter ate together. After dinner I had meetings until 10:00.
Nov. 13th
A few of the girls took me to breakfast at 9:00, and after breakfast I met with their Greek Adviser and then their Panhellenic Adviser. I then went back to the hall and we all went to lunch together at 11:30. My afternoon was filled with meetings, and the chapter adviser took me to dinner; we ate at this really good local Italian restaurant. (The more you travel, the more you come to love local places) That night I had meetings until 9:30.
There is 5 days for you. I gave you the dates, but did not give you the days of the week. That's because they don't matter. I have to really stop and think about what day of the week it is most the time. They all run together for me, because each visit is so diverse, and it's not like I do anything special on any given day of the week. I rarely ever have time to watch tv, not to mention a lot of times there isn't even a tv in the room I'm staying in. Some days are busier than others, some chapters are friendlier, some accommodations are better, either way it's always an adventure and there is never a dull moment. While I gave you an overview, I didn't get too detailed and tell you about when girls have gotten lost while driving me from one chapter to the next, or when I've had to wander around campus looking for the Greek adviser's office, or when a chapter president calls me at 9:00 in the morning asking me if she is allowed to check a Phi out of the hospital. Oh yeah, it's been pretty interesting.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
"Oklahoma. . . Where the skies are blue!"
Earlier this week, or I guess it was last week since today is Sunday, I was in the cafeteria at lunch time with a group of girls from the chapter. I was in line deciding what I was going to eat when a man from behind the counter looks at me and says, "I don't know this Phi Mu," I then told him that I was the chapter consultant. He looks at the girls around me and goes, "Consultant! Have they told you about the HAZING!?!?" Then he was like, "No no, I'm just kidding, they are a great group. So where are you from?"
I said, "I graduated from Oklahoma State; I'm from Oklahoma City."
His immediate response (in a sing-song voice) is, "OKLAHOMA WHERE THE SKIES ARE BLUE!" He then stops singing and goes, "I bet you didn't think I knew the song did you?"
I was just like, "No," and smiled. He was so friendly and talkative that I didn't want to tell him that he made up a line and sang it to the tune of "Oklahoma." We talked for a few more minutes and I then walked over to the table with the rest of the girls. They all turned to me and started apologizing and were embarrassed. I told them it wasn't a big deal. Maybe 2 minutes after I'd sat down, Tony--the ultra friendly cafeteria manager--came over to our table and sang the incorrect line of "Oklahoma" for me again.
The next day when I went to the cafeteria for breakfast, I was in line trying to decide what food to get when Tony comes running from the kitchen part of the cafeteria with small light bulbs sticking out of his ears and says, "I'm trying to have a bright idea!" I thought it was clever, the girl with me apologized and started introducing me to Tony. I was like, "Oh we've met!" He then started telling the other workers behind the counter that I was from Oklahoma, and they asked me if I was wearing boots. I laughed and said, "no," but that didn't stop all of them from coming around the counter to look to see if I had boots on. One of the cafeteria workers asked what brought me to North Carolina and the other worker told me that she lived in Oklahoma around Tinker years ago. So once again I spent a few minutes holding up the line in the cafeteria.
I just thought it was funny that I stirred up so much commotion at this little college that was about half the size of my high school.
I said, "I graduated from Oklahoma State; I'm from Oklahoma City."
His immediate response (in a sing-song voice) is, "OKLAHOMA WHERE THE SKIES ARE BLUE!" He then stops singing and goes, "I bet you didn't think I knew the song did you?"
I was just like, "No," and smiled. He was so friendly and talkative that I didn't want to tell him that he made up a line and sang it to the tune of "Oklahoma." We talked for a few more minutes and I then walked over to the table with the rest of the girls. They all turned to me and started apologizing and were embarrassed. I told them it wasn't a big deal. Maybe 2 minutes after I'd sat down, Tony--the ultra friendly cafeteria manager--came over to our table and sang the incorrect line of "Oklahoma" for me again.
The next day when I went to the cafeteria for breakfast, I was in line trying to decide what food to get when Tony comes running from the kitchen part of the cafeteria with small light bulbs sticking out of his ears and says, "I'm trying to have a bright idea!" I thought it was clever, the girl with me apologized and started introducing me to Tony. I was like, "Oh we've met!" He then started telling the other workers behind the counter that I was from Oklahoma, and they asked me if I was wearing boots. I laughed and said, "no," but that didn't stop all of them from coming around the counter to look to see if I had boots on. One of the cafeteria workers asked what brought me to North Carolina and the other worker told me that she lived in Oklahoma around Tinker years ago. So once again I spent a few minutes holding up the line in the cafeteria.
I just thought it was funny that I stirred up so much commotion at this little college that was about half the size of my high school.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Just Say 'No'
I am currently writing to you from Barton College which is in Wilson, North Carolina. It's okay that you've never heard of it, because even people from North Carolina haven't heard of it before. I arrived her today and before this chapter at was at College of Charleston.
I don't know if I have expressed my love for Charleston before, but it is the greatest place I have ever been. I love it! I stayed at a little inn right of Kings Street. My room was huge with a super comfy King sized bed and after they would clean my room they would put a door hanger in my room for me to fill out. On it, I would tell them if I wanted my next day's breakfast served to me in my room or on the back porch, what time I wanted my breakfast served, and if I wanted fresh orange juice, tea, and/or coffee. I'd never stayed somewhere before where they would call to let me know they were bringing my breakfast and morning paper to me. It was awesome!
While I was sad to leave Charleston and the fun girls in that chapter, I was excited about going to a chapter that I had never visited before. Please note, once again I did not get to sit next to a hot, single, young professional and either of the plane rides today. I sat next to middle aged, married men on both flights. Anyway, one of the girls from Barton College picked me up at the airport and she had a bottle of water waiting for me. (After being on the road for three months, it's small things like this that really make me happy) She kind of scared me at first, because she was like, "I've never gone to school from the airport before, so I'm not really sure which way to go. We might have to turn around a couple times." As we were leaving the airport and getting on the highway she says, "I don't think we need to go North," and she takes the exit that says North. Then a couple minutes later the highway splits again and she says, "I really don't know which one of these to take. I guess we'll try this one." She was so blase about not really knowing which way to go. Once we had been on the highway for a few minutes without taking random exits that we weren't sure of, I asked if she knew where we were and she was like, "Oh yeah! We're good!" Then she asked me where I wanted to go for lunch. This question kind of makes me laugh inside, because I don't have a clue of what they have over here. It's not like they have Sonic, Braum's, Taco Bueno like I'm used to. No, no, they have places called Bojangles, Biscuitville, and Moe's. Those are all chains that I've seen multiple places in the Carolina's.
So I messed up and didn't tell her a type of food I wanted, so of course she goes, "There's a Panera Bread up here, you wanna go there? I love Panera Bread." Everything in me was screaming "just say no!" But I couldn't do it, so once again I ate Panera.
That's about all I have for right now. I would like to say that while I tell you all stories about being stood up, held hostage, and eating at my least favorite restaurant of all time, I just want to add that I still love my job!
I don't know if I have expressed my love for Charleston before, but it is the greatest place I have ever been. I love it! I stayed at a little inn right of Kings Street. My room was huge with a super comfy King sized bed and after they would clean my room they would put a door hanger in my room for me to fill out. On it, I would tell them if I wanted my next day's breakfast served to me in my room or on the back porch, what time I wanted my breakfast served, and if I wanted fresh orange juice, tea, and/or coffee. I'd never stayed somewhere before where they would call to let me know they were bringing my breakfast and morning paper to me. It was awesome!
While I was sad to leave Charleston and the fun girls in that chapter, I was excited about going to a chapter that I had never visited before. Please note, once again I did not get to sit next to a hot, single, young professional and either of the plane rides today. I sat next to middle aged, married men on both flights. Anyway, one of the girls from Barton College picked me up at the airport and she had a bottle of water waiting for me. (After being on the road for three months, it's small things like this that really make me happy) She kind of scared me at first, because she was like, "I've never gone to school from the airport before, so I'm not really sure which way to go. We might have to turn around a couple times." As we were leaving the airport and getting on the highway she says, "I don't think we need to go North," and she takes the exit that says North. Then a couple minutes later the highway splits again and she says, "I really don't know which one of these to take. I guess we'll try this one." She was so blase about not really knowing which way to go. Once we had been on the highway for a few minutes without taking random exits that we weren't sure of, I asked if she knew where we were and she was like, "Oh yeah! We're good!" Then she asked me where I wanted to go for lunch. This question kind of makes me laugh inside, because I don't have a clue of what they have over here. It's not like they have Sonic, Braum's, Taco Bueno like I'm used to. No, no, they have places called Bojangles, Biscuitville, and Moe's. Those are all chains that I've seen multiple places in the Carolina's.
So I messed up and didn't tell her a type of food I wanted, so of course she goes, "There's a Panera Bread up here, you wanna go there? I love Panera Bread." Everything in me was screaming "just say no!" But I couldn't do it, so once again I ate Panera.
That's about all I have for right now. I would like to say that while I tell you all stories about being stood up, held hostage, and eating at my least favorite restaurant of all time, I just want to add that I still love my job!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Held Hostage
At this point, I have done my fair share of eating out, eating on campus, and eating in a sorority house, but last night was the first time girls had me over to their house and made dinner for me. It was a lot of fun! The girls' house was super cute, and the food was really good. They just made lasagna, salad, and bread, but it was all good!
The girls who had me over were so much fun. One of them was the most talkative person I've ever met in my life! (Which is hard to believe, because I have some pretty talkative friends!) Plus, she said everything about three times as loud as she needed to be talking and she had a super strong southern accent. Several times I had to wait a few minutes to respond to what she said, because I was trying to figure out what she said. When I first arrived at her house she asked me what I wanted to drink and I when I replied with, "water is fine," she goes (now remember she's pretty much screaming and has the strong southern accent!) "Oh girl! You don't just want water! We have grape Kool-Aid, Sun Drop, Coke, and Sprite! Oh and I'd offer you wine, but I learned with our last consultant that y'all can't drink with us." I wish I could have recorded her talking, and I'm sure my typing all of this out is really doing it no justice at all.
After we ate, we then watched tv for a little while, and then I had my meetings with each of them. When I finished up the second meeting, Chatty Cathy then goes, "well, I'm gonna go to bed, do you care if Michelle takes you home later." I said, "Since we are finished with the meetings I can just go back to my room now." Chatty goes, "No no, I don't want you sittin' in that room by yourself all night." I responded with, "Well it is 11:15," but no one caught on to the fact that I was ready to go back to my room, so I ended up staying at their house until 12:40 a.m. I was beginning to feel like they were holding me hostage. I had really had so much fun with them, but I was so ready to go to bed. Needless to say, I was excited when they finally deemed it late enough to take me back to my room.
The girls who had me over were so much fun. One of them was the most talkative person I've ever met in my life! (Which is hard to believe, because I have some pretty talkative friends!) Plus, she said everything about three times as loud as she needed to be talking and she had a super strong southern accent. Several times I had to wait a few minutes to respond to what she said, because I was trying to figure out what she said. When I first arrived at her house she asked me what I wanted to drink and I when I replied with, "water is fine," she goes (now remember she's pretty much screaming and has the strong southern accent!) "Oh girl! You don't just want water! We have grape Kool-Aid, Sun Drop, Coke, and Sprite! Oh and I'd offer you wine, but I learned with our last consultant that y'all can't drink with us." I wish I could have recorded her talking, and I'm sure my typing all of this out is really doing it no justice at all.
After we ate, we then watched tv for a little while, and then I had my meetings with each of them. When I finished up the second meeting, Chatty Cathy then goes, "well, I'm gonna go to bed, do you care if Michelle takes you home later." I said, "Since we are finished with the meetings I can just go back to my room now." Chatty goes, "No no, I don't want you sittin' in that room by yourself all night." I responded with, "Well it is 11:15," but no one caught on to the fact that I was ready to go back to my room, so I ended up staying at their house until 12:40 a.m. I was beginning to feel like they were holding me hostage. I had really had so much fun with them, but I was so ready to go to bed. Needless to say, I was excited when they finally deemed it late enough to take me back to my room.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Stood Up
I'm at UNC-Greensboro right now. It's a pretty campus, but all of the campuses around here are. Anyway, when I arrived here on Thursday night the president took me to dinner. We went to Panera, which really wasn't bad. I finally found something I liked. On our way to dinner, she mentioned that she had to work on Saturday morning from 9 to 1. She told me that she works at the Zoo and she said I could get in for free with her, and she asked if I wanted to go. I told her I would like to go and that it sounded like fun.
So last night when I was hanging out in my dorm room by myself I remembered that I'd told her I would go to the Zoo with her today. I called and left her a message telling her to just give me a call and let me know what time she would be picking me up this morning. She didn't call me back last night, but I figured she was just out late since it was Halloween. So I woke up this morning at 7 so I could be dressed and ready to go by 8:30, since she had to be at work I figured she'd be picking me up around 8:30.
I was all dressed and ready to go by 8:30, but she never called to say she was picking me up. So I decided to work on some reports and check my e-mail, thinking she'd call soon. She never called, so I didn't get to go to the Zoo. It kind of made me sad, because I was really looking forward to getting out of the dorm room and getting some fresh air and taking pictures. Instead I spent my morning sending e-mails and finishing reports, which was kind of nice too, because now I am completely caught up on all my work.
I get to come home in 23 days! I'm super excited. I'm already planning on waking up really early the day after Thanksgiving to go do Christmas shopping! I love my job, but I love getting to go home too! On the topic of loving my job, I get to back to Charleston, SC next weekend. I can't wait! It is the coolest place ever! Great shops, great food, great scenery, and the girls in that chapter are a lot of fun!
There's my life in a nutshell right now!
So last night when I was hanging out in my dorm room by myself I remembered that I'd told her I would go to the Zoo with her today. I called and left her a message telling her to just give me a call and let me know what time she would be picking me up this morning. She didn't call me back last night, but I figured she was just out late since it was Halloween. So I woke up this morning at 7 so I could be dressed and ready to go by 8:30, since she had to be at work I figured she'd be picking me up around 8:30.
I was all dressed and ready to go by 8:30, but she never called to say she was picking me up. So I decided to work on some reports and check my e-mail, thinking she'd call soon. She never called, so I didn't get to go to the Zoo. It kind of made me sad, because I was really looking forward to getting out of the dorm room and getting some fresh air and taking pictures. Instead I spent my morning sending e-mails and finishing reports, which was kind of nice too, because now I am completely caught up on all my work.
I get to come home in 23 days! I'm super excited. I'm already planning on waking up really early the day after Thanksgiving to go do Christmas shopping! I love my job, but I love getting to go home too! On the topic of loving my job, I get to back to Charleston, SC next weekend. I can't wait! It is the coolest place ever! Great shops, great food, great scenery, and the girls in that chapter are a lot of fun!
There's my life in a nutshell right now!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Life on the Road
I know I went forever and a day without keeping you up to date with my life. Which is probably because I have so much trouble keeping track of what I'm doing, where I am, where I'll be tomorrow for my own sake, so it's hard to find the time to share it with others.
On September 23, I got to start traveling! I visited the Chapter at College of Charelston, which was so much fun. For all of you who have never been to Charelston before, you need to go! I know I haven't been to too many places in my life, but Charleston is by far my favorite. I stayed in a guest house just two blocks from Kings Street. Kings St. is this really long like main street that runs through town. It has every store on it you could imagine--Apple, Pottery Barn, Saks 5th Avenue, Lucky Brand, Abercrombie, and tons of little boutiques. If you want to get a better idea of what this street is, watch the Notebook. All of the scenes when they are walking down the street and hanging out outside the movie theater were all filmed on this street. The food there was also amazing.
After a few days in South Carolina, I flew down to Boca Raton, Fl. We just opened a new chapter there the week before I arrived, so I was there for the first Phi meeting and stuff like that.
After I spent a few days in Florida, I came back to my home away from home--Chapel Hill! I was only in Chapel Hill for a couple days, then I went to Wake Forest University, and now I am back in Chapel Hill. However, I head to High Point University on Thursday. I'll spend Sunday and Monday at Elon and then I fly home on Tuesday! I'm super excited! It's only been about 3 weeks since I've been home, but I've been doing a lot more traveling over these past few weeks than I started out doing, so it's taking some getting used to.
Since recruitment season is over, I have started my operations visits. Those are ones where I meet with each member of exec and other positions which the presdent wants me to meet with. I just get to sit and brainstorm with each member of exec individually. I am really enjoying hearing all of their great ideas, and I like when I give them an idea that they really like and want to implement.
That's about all that's been going on with me--just traveling and meeting with people. It's been a lot of fun, I can't wait to see what the rest of the semester has in store for me!
On September 23, I got to start traveling! I visited the Chapter at College of Charelston, which was so much fun. For all of you who have never been to Charelston before, you need to go! I know I haven't been to too many places in my life, but Charleston is by far my favorite. I stayed in a guest house just two blocks from Kings Street. Kings St. is this really long like main street that runs through town. It has every store on it you could imagine--Apple, Pottery Barn, Saks 5th Avenue, Lucky Brand, Abercrombie, and tons of little boutiques. If you want to get a better idea of what this street is, watch the Notebook. All of the scenes when they are walking down the street and hanging out outside the movie theater were all filmed on this street. The food there was also amazing.
After a few days in South Carolina, I flew down to Boca Raton, Fl. We just opened a new chapter there the week before I arrived, so I was there for the first Phi meeting and stuff like that.
After I spent a few days in Florida, I came back to my home away from home--Chapel Hill! I was only in Chapel Hill for a couple days, then I went to Wake Forest University, and now I am back in Chapel Hill. However, I head to High Point University on Thursday. I'll spend Sunday and Monday at Elon and then I fly home on Tuesday! I'm super excited! It's only been about 3 weeks since I've been home, but I've been doing a lot more traveling over these past few weeks than I started out doing, so it's taking some getting used to.
Since recruitment season is over, I have started my operations visits. Those are ones where I meet with each member of exec and other positions which the presdent wants me to meet with. I just get to sit and brainstorm with each member of exec individually. I am really enjoying hearing all of their great ideas, and I like when I give them an idea that they really like and want to implement.
That's about all that's been going on with me--just traveling and meeting with people. It's been a lot of fun, I can't wait to see what the rest of the semester has in store for me!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
I Miss You!
I started tearing up last night, as the women of Gamma Lambda were practicing their pref ceremony. There are parts of their ceremony that are similar to ours, so it of course made me think of our pref days. The way they were talking about their sisters made me think of you all and how much I miss the women of Epsilon Nu. I used to tear up during pref day when I was surrounded by all my good friends, do you have any idea how hard it is to sit through a pref ceremony when you are 1,200 miles away from your friends. It was rough, but I have to admit it wasn't the first time I've teared up in the last few weeks, and I'm sure it won't be the last.
I just wanted all of my friends to know that I miss you, and I think about you pretty much all the time!
I just wanted all of my friends to know that I miss you, and I think about you pretty much all the time!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Chapel Hill
So I've arrived at what seems like my final destination, since I'm going to be here for the next 7 weeks. So far I am really enjoying it! The weather here is A-mazing! It feels like October, and the humidity is not bad at all. Just two blocks from the house is Franklin Street which is full of good restaurants and cute little shops. I've already eaten at two of the pizza places and they are both great! That could be really bad having two pizza places with in walking distance--plus there is also a cold stone! You know how Jerry walked to Subway and lost weight, well I'm wondering if that'll work for me walking to Cold Stone!
This chapter house is awesome! It is newly renovated--they aren't even completely finished with one of the bathrooms upstairs. Pretty much everything in the house is brand new so it's all really nice. It's a good size house too, all the bedrooms are upstairs and it sleeps 42. Most of the rooms are 2 and 3 girl rooms. They have community bathrooms, but these are the nicest community bathrooms I've ever used!
I feel like I've given you a nice over view of my current location. Let me know if I left anything out.
This chapter house is awesome! It is newly renovated--they aren't even completely finished with one of the bathrooms upstairs. Pretty much everything in the house is brand new so it's all really nice. It's a good size house too, all the bedrooms are upstairs and it sleeps 42. Most of the rooms are 2 and 3 girl rooms. They have community bathrooms, but these are the nicest community bathrooms I've ever used!
I feel like I've given you a nice over view of my current location. Let me know if I left anything out.
Friday, August 8, 2008
From Statesboro to Athens
Today I am in Athens, Georgia--where UGA is located. I know a lot of people are confused about how I got here, so let me explain. On Monday, another one of the consultants and I drove the Phi Mu van 3.5 hours to Statesboro, GA. Yesterday, I drove it back to Peachtree City. Then Amy (my boss) drove me to the airport where I met up with another one of the consultants, and we rode a shuttle from Atlanta to Athens. It was about a 1.5 hour ride, in a twelve passenger van that was completely full, plus a CRAZY driver! I am only here until Sunday morning, when I'm flying from Atlanta to some airport close to Chapel Hill. You won't have to worry about keeping up with my schedule much after that, because I am going to be there until for awhile.
The girls in the Alpha Alpha chapter are awesome! Their house is HUGE! Their chapter itself is HUGE! They only had the sophomores there today and there were 54 of them. They do things very differently than we do back West, so I had a blast watching them practice songs and acting as a PNM! They were just repeating everything this afternoon that they did this morning, so the president brought us back to the hotel around 2 this afternoon. I caught up on emails and phone calls, then we walked to some boutiques just a few blocks from our hotel. Up until today, I have done so well at not buying anything, mainly because I have no where to put it. My suitcase already weighed 49 pounds when I left home, however I could not pass up this super cute pair of black flats I found that were only $15! I have no idea where I'm going to put them, but I'll deal with that tomorrow night when I'm packing.
Now I have to tell you about dinner tonight! The chapter adviser took us to eat, and she called earlier asking where we wanted to go. We told her somewhere local, then she started listing genres. She mentioned BBQ and we both like that, so we told her that's what we wanted. When she picked us up, she told us that she asked one of her friends where to take us, and he gave her the name of the best, in his opinion, BBQ place in town. She told us that it was a little hole in the wall place, but we pulled up and it wasn't a little hole in the wall place, because you have to have a wall before you can have a hole in it!! It was located in what looked like was a gas station a good fifty years ago, it was just randomly on the side of the road all by itself. It was called Eat 'Em Ups. So we go in and it was. . . you know, I can't find a word to describe it. The menu was a chalk board by the counter that listed the 3 different meat options and the 5 different side items. That was it! There were 3 tables in there, so it's a good thing they weren't too busy or else we wouldn't have been able to sit down. In the middle of the restaurant was a book case type thing, where they had merchandise I guess you'd call it. The selection of items on this book case thing was hot sauce, baked beans, Vienna Sausages, Pine-Sol, and Raid. I am still upset that I didn't have my camera with me! The food wasn't bad. I didn't care for the BBQ sauce, because none of it was sweet, but I guess they don't have sweet BBQ sauce in this part of the country. After we finished eating, the chapter adviser bought us some boiled peanuts--yes, they sold those too. I'd never had boiled peanuts before. They kind of tasted like beans, they were a little strange to say the least While the atmosphere of the restaurant was a little. . . different, the adviser was super nice and close to our age so overall, dinner was fun.
Sorry this post was so long, but I had a lot I wanted to tell you.
The girls in the Alpha Alpha chapter are awesome! Their house is HUGE! Their chapter itself is HUGE! They only had the sophomores there today and there were 54 of them. They do things very differently than we do back West, so I had a blast watching them practice songs and acting as a PNM! They were just repeating everything this afternoon that they did this morning, so the president brought us back to the hotel around 2 this afternoon. I caught up on emails and phone calls, then we walked to some boutiques just a few blocks from our hotel. Up until today, I have done so well at not buying anything, mainly because I have no where to put it. My suitcase already weighed 49 pounds when I left home, however I could not pass up this super cute pair of black flats I found that were only $15! I have no idea where I'm going to put them, but I'll deal with that tomorrow night when I'm packing.
Now I have to tell you about dinner tonight! The chapter adviser took us to eat, and she called earlier asking where we wanted to go. We told her somewhere local, then she started listing genres. She mentioned BBQ and we both like that, so we told her that's what we wanted. When she picked us up, she told us that she asked one of her friends where to take us, and he gave her the name of the best, in his opinion, BBQ place in town. She told us that it was a little hole in the wall place, but we pulled up and it wasn't a little hole in the wall place, because you have to have a wall before you can have a hole in it!! It was located in what looked like was a gas station a good fifty years ago, it was just randomly on the side of the road all by itself. It was called Eat 'Em Ups. So we go in and it was. . . you know, I can't find a word to describe it. The menu was a chalk board by the counter that listed the 3 different meat options and the 5 different side items. That was it! There were 3 tables in there, so it's a good thing they weren't too busy or else we wouldn't have been able to sit down. In the middle of the restaurant was a book case type thing, where they had merchandise I guess you'd call it. The selection of items on this book case thing was hot sauce, baked beans, Vienna Sausages, Pine-Sol, and Raid. I am still upset that I didn't have my camera with me! The food wasn't bad. I didn't care for the BBQ sauce, because none of it was sweet, but I guess they don't have sweet BBQ sauce in this part of the country. After we finished eating, the chapter adviser bought us some boiled peanuts--yes, they sold those too. I'd never had boiled peanuts before. They kind of tasted like beans, they were a little strange to say the least While the atmosphere of the restaurant was a little. . . different, the adviser was super nice and close to our age so overall, dinner was fun.
Sorry this post was so long, but I had a lot I wanted to tell you.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Day 2!
While I was watching the girls practice their skit today, I realized that I LOVE my job! I'm pretty sure I have the greatest job in the whole world. I watched them practice their entrance/exit songs and practice their skit this morning. Which by the way, their skit is awesome! And I'm not just saying that because they use a Miley Cyrus song in it; it really was awesome. They have a lot of talent in their chapter. This afternoon I conducted a workshop on pref conversation. It was so nice to teach people over the age of 12.
I'll explain my schedule now. I'm here until Thursday. On Thursday going to the University of Georgia until Sunday. On Sunday I am flying to Chapel Hill! I am scheduled to be there from August 10th to October 2nd. I'll give you addresses in emails or facebook messages.
I'll explain my schedule now. I'm here until Thursday. On Thursday going to the University of Georgia until Sunday. On Sunday I am flying to Chapel Hill! I am scheduled to be there from August 10th to October 2nd. I'll give you addresses in emails or facebook messages.
Monday, August 4, 2008
I'm Alive!
I know it has been awhile since I have talked to many of you, and you have been wondering if I'm still alive. I just wanted to let you all know that I am. I am in Statesboro, Georgia right now--which is where Georgia Southern is.
It reminds me a lot of Stillwater. They said there are 17,000 students at this university and it's a small town, much like Stillwater. No Target, but it does have a McAlister's. That's where I had dinner tonight.
The Greek houses here are gorgeous! I'm going to take pictures of them tomorrow.
I'm not sure what else you would want to know. I have SO much that I could tell you that I'm trying to be selective, so I don't bore you with tons of details. I will tell you, I realized today that Georgia doesn't see the importance of street signs! The majority of the intersections I went through today did not have them. I think I need to figure out who to e-mail about this.
Okay, let me know if there is something you want me to tell you about! I'll write more as soon as I can!
It reminds me a lot of Stillwater. They said there are 17,000 students at this university and it's a small town, much like Stillwater. No Target, but it does have a McAlister's. That's where I had dinner tonight.
The Greek houses here are gorgeous! I'm going to take pictures of them tomorrow.
I'm not sure what else you would want to know. I have SO much that I could tell you that I'm trying to be selective, so I don't bore you with tons of details. I will tell you, I realized today that Georgia doesn't see the importance of street signs! The majority of the intersections I went through today did not have them. I think I need to figure out who to e-mail about this.
Okay, let me know if there is something you want me to tell you about! I'll write more as soon as I can!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
I'm leavin on a jet plane. . .
I didn't pack everything I own, but I sure packed a lot of it! I have run a million errands this week; I've done several loads of laundry, and I've packed and unpacked my two suitcases multiple times until everything has fit and I'm under the weight limit. I guess that means I'm ready for my flight in the morning.
I've wanted this job for a long time now, a good two years. I've known I had this job for 4.5 months. Yet, it wasn't until this week that it really hit me--I'm really leaving. I hadn't thought about all the goodbyes I was going to have to say. In my application and in one of my interviews they asked how I would handle being away from my friends and family for an extended period of time. I told them that it wouldn't bother me, that it's just a one year thing, and I'd just enjoy all the good parts. I had no idea that I should have told them I just wasn't going to think about the fact that I was leaving my friends and family. For the most part, in all honesty, I've ignored all the goodbyes. I've just been saying, "I'll see you later," as if later is in a couple days, when later is actually going to be October.
It is so bittersweet, because on one hand I'm really sad that I'm leaving and on the other hand I'm super excited about what is in store for me. Right now I am just having to deal with the leaving part, but I'm sure that once I get there and get in the swing of things I am going to have a blast.
I've rambled enough and this really hasn't gone in the direction that I wanted, so I'm gonna wrap it up here! The next time you hear from me I will be on the East coast!
I've wanted this job for a long time now, a good two years. I've known I had this job for 4.5 months. Yet, it wasn't until this week that it really hit me--I'm really leaving. I hadn't thought about all the goodbyes I was going to have to say. In my application and in one of my interviews they asked how I would handle being away from my friends and family for an extended period of time. I told them that it wouldn't bother me, that it's just a one year thing, and I'd just enjoy all the good parts. I had no idea that I should have told them I just wasn't going to think about the fact that I was leaving my friends and family. For the most part, in all honesty, I've ignored all the goodbyes. I've just been saying, "I'll see you later," as if later is in a couple days, when later is actually going to be October.
It is so bittersweet, because on one hand I'm really sad that I'm leaving and on the other hand I'm super excited about what is in store for me. Right now I am just having to deal with the leaving part, but I'm sure that once I get there and get in the swing of things I am going to have a blast.
I've rambled enough and this really hasn't gone in the direction that I wanted, so I'm gonna wrap it up here! The next time you hear from me I will be on the East coast!
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